The present invention relates to the field of ultrasound information processing systems. In particular, the present invention relates to an architecture and protocol for providing flexible, high performance, reduced cost, and readily upgradable ultrasound information processing systems.
Medical imaging systems based on ultrasound technology are useful in that they are non-invasive and generally easy to use. An ultrasound imaging system transmits sound waves of very high frequency (e.g., 2 MHz to 10 MHz) into a patient and processes the echoes reflected from structures in the patient""s body to form two dimensional or three-dimensional images. Depending on the system used and diagnostic needs of the patient, the ultrasound images are displayed in real-time or stored for archival or future diagnostics purposes.
Many ultrasound information processing algorithms are known in the art, e.g. echo mode (xe2x80x9cB modexe2x80x9d) processing algorithms, Doppler shift echo processing algorithms, color flow mode processing algorithms, and others. A common characteristic among the various ultrasound algorithms is a high degree of computational intensity and the need for high power, high speed hardware systems for performing the computationally intensive algorithms. Generally speaking, the implementation of higher performance ultrasound information processing leads to the desirable results of greater image resolution and/or frame rate for given ultrasound algorithm.
FIG. 1 shows an ultrasound information processing system 100 in accordance with a prior art architecture. The ultrasound information processing system 100 is similar in several respects to a system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,209, xe2x80x9cUltrasound Signal Processing System,xe2x80x9d the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure. Ultrasound information processing system 100 comprises a front end processing subsystem 102, a back end processing subsystem 104, a transducer 106, a video controller 108, a video display 110, a system controller 114, and a user input device 116.
Transducer 106 sends acoustical signals toward a subject, the acoustical signals being formed in accordance with electrical scan signals. Front end processing subsystem 102 produces the electrical scan signals based on scan parameters, receives echo signals from the subject responsive to the acoustical signals, and produces multidimensional vector data associated with the echo signals. Back end processing subsystem 104 receives and processes the multidimensional vector data to produce image data and parameter information, and provides the parameter information back to the front end processing subsystem 102. Processing of the multidimensional vector data by back end processing subsystem 104 includes, for example, echo signal processing, color flow processing, or Doppler processing. Video controller 108 and video display 110 are used to display the image data. Finally, system controller 114 and user input device 116 are used for controlling the overall functions of the system and for receiving user input, respectively.
The architecture of the ultrasound information processing system 100 contains limitations that reduce its flexibility, versatility, and upgradability. In particular, the architecture comprises a series of custom, dedicated communications links among the transducer 106, the processing subsystems 102 and 104, the system controller 114, and the video units 108 and 110. These include the links 112, 118, 120, 122, 124, and 126 in FIG. 1.
The link 118, for example, is dedicated in that it represents a communications path only between the front end processor 102 and the back end processor 104. If front end processor 102 requires communication with another component such as system controller 114, as is the case in ultrasound information processing system 100 of FIG. 1, a different link 122 is used. Furthermore, the link 118 is custom in that the required terminal units, drivers, and physical layer protocols are specifically chosen or designed (number of bits, speed, timing signals, etc.) for the type of data traffic between the front end processor 102 and the back end processor 104, in particular for high-speed interchange of large multidimensional ultrasound vector data therebetween.
In contrast to the link 118, the link 122 is dedicated between the front end processor 102 and the system controller 114 and is customized for a different purpose. The link 122 is only required to carry control commands between the system controller 114 and the front end processor 102, and therefore the required terminal units, drivers, and physical layer protocols may be chosen or designed for low-speed data throughput.
Disadvantageously, due to the use of custom, dedicated communication links among its components, the ultrasound information processing system 100 is not easily adaptable to different configurations, upgradable to newer, better, and/or less expensive hardware, or changeable to new software ultrasound information processing algorithms. In practice, the architecture of the ultrasound information processing system 100 is implemented by a single manufacturer, who designs a custom backplane into which custom hardware cards are inserted for performing specific functions, and who designs a custom programming environment into which new ultrasound information processing algorithms must be adapted. Any upgrades in hardware and/or software must correspond directly to the hardware specifications in the custom backplane system and/or the custom programming environment.
As an example, where the existing ultrasound information processing system 100 is made by established manufacturer xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d, if a new ultrasound hardware company xe2x80x9cNxe2x80x9d wishes to provide an upgrade to the video controller 108, company xe2x80x9cNxe2x80x9d must create a communications interface specifically designed for the dedicated, custom link 120. This communications interface will generally not work with systems made by other established manufacturers xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d. As another example, if company xe2x80x9cNxe2x80x9d creates a newer, faster matrix processor for performing the functions of back end processing subsystem 104, company xe2x80x9cNxe2x80x9d must create a custom hardware board for plugging into the custom backplane of the system of company xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d, and again this custom hardware board will generally not work with systems made by manufacturers xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d. Thus, according to the prior art architecture of ultrasound information processing system 100, costs of entry into the ultrasound hardware/software field are increased, choice in upgrading existing ultrasound equipment are reduced, and the spread of advances in the ultrasound arts are inhibited.
Accordingly, it would be desirable-to provide an ultrasound information processing architecture that allows for appropriate data communication, including high-speed data communications, among components thereof.
It would be further desirable to provide an ultrasound information processing architecture that allows for flexible, expandable, and adaptable implementation of components from any of a variety of manufacturers.
It would be even further desirable to provide an ultrasound information processing architecture that allows for ready implementation of new software ultrasound information processing algorithms into existing ultrasound hardware or new ultrasound hardware as the situation requires.
It would be even further desirable to provide an ultrasound information processing architecture that standardizes communications among ultrasound hardware and software components, to allow upgrades without substantial change to existing ultrasound equipment investments.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, an architecture and protocol are provided for allowing a flexible, low cost, expandable, and upgradable ultrasound information processing system, wherein ultrasound information processing functions are performed by a plurality of ultrasound modules coupled to a high-speed serial ultrasound information bus. The ultrasound information bus is used for packetized data transfer among the ultrasound modules in accordance with an ultrasound information exchange protocol. Additional or upgraded ultrasound modules are designed to connect to the ultrasound information bus and to communicate using the ultrasound information exchange protocol. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment, as improvements in hardware technology or software algorithms are made, additional or upgraded ultrasound modules are simply xe2x80x9cplugged inxe2x80x9d to the ultrasound information bus, thereby reducing costs and increasing system versatility and upgradability.
In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasound information exchange protocol provides for ultrasound data interchange among ultrasound modules, each of which is given a unique network address. Ultrasound information exchange protocol packets are routed from a source ultrasound module to a destination ultrasound module across the ultrasound information bus. Accordingly, ultrasound information is readily shared by different clinical facilities using the ultrasound information exchange protocol, thereby allowing for accelerated research and development, easy and inexpensive testing of new ultrasound equipment and algorithms, convenient central archiving of ultrasound information data, and other benefits.
In another preferred embodiment, a hospital ultrasound information network is formed by the ultrasound stations modules and the ultrasound information bus at a given clinical site, each ultrasound module being provided with a unique TCP/IP address.